


bystander

by doubleknot



Series: Hello, Strange Place [2]
Category: CIX (Band)
Genre: Angst, Bullying, Character Study, Skipping Class
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2021-01-29 04:02:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21403870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doubleknot/pseuds/doubleknot
Summary: he should probably go help him
Series: Hello, Strange Place [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1541959
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	bystander

**Author's Note:**

> i'm like twelve hours late on this but better late than never

he knows he shouldn't be in here. he knows he should be in his last class for the day. he knows he'll get punished if he gets caught skipping. knowing these things does nothing to stop byounggon from sinking into the worn out sofa. he huffs out a sigh as he leans his head against the couch. 

the teen should be in his pre-calculus class but this stuffy old school shed filled with broken and useless things seems like a better option. this rundown shed means more to him than any boring lecture that he had already heard a thousand times could. byounggon stares, unblinking, up at the ceiling of the small building as he lets his mind wander. the blond pushes himself up after a moment and pats his pants pockets, searching for something. whenever he finds what he's wanting, he's quick to pull it out and lean back against the couch. 

an old, black box of matches sits between his thumb and pointer finger. he's had this old thing for a while and it's quite obvious. the corners of the box were worn and rounded from how much it's been handled. though it's old and he's never really used it, the boy can't seem to find it in himself to stop carrying it around. he exhales heavily through his nose as he turns the box in his hand with gentle fingers; he knows what this little box looks like, inside and out, but that doesn't stop him from observing it out of habit.

the sound of the school bell's faint ringing and chiming pulls him out of his own head. he doesn't know how long he sat like that, silent and off in his own little world, just staring at the tiny matchbox but he doesn't really care all that much either. doing anything but sitting in class is more worth his while. as much as he likes spending time in the crowded shed, he doesn't want to be on school grounds any longer. byounggon pushes himself to his feet with the box still in hand. 

the light of the setting sun is bright and harsh on his eyes whenever he steps outside. he squints and looks around, allowing his eyes to adjust, as he shuts the door behind him. now he can go find his friends and hit up an arcade, hangout at one of their houses, or maybe even crash a college party. he hasn't decided yet but he's got plenty of time before he has to choose. the blond starts to make his way across the school yard whenever he hears something.

the sound of shuffling feet and harsh murmurs catch the bored teen's attention. he stops in his tracks whenever he finds the source of the commotion. right beside the shed he had just been in stood a group of students standing around someone. they all seemed to be crowded around one boy. it dawns upon him that they're picking on this boy, whoever he is, and he can't help but stare. 

the teen is leaning against the rough brick wall; body slump and limbs limp as he just stands there. from what the blond can see he's got a few bruises decorating his face already but he isn't certain is most of them are new or not. anytime he tries to shove the others away or get off the wall, he gets pushed right back against it. sometimes he gets pushed with a hand around his throat and if byounggon listens close enough, he can even hear him choke. much to everyone's surprise the poor targeted teen shoves two of the boys away and tries to make a run for it.

he doesn't get far before he gets a knee to the stomach. byounggon just quirks a brow as he watches him get shoved to the ground. feet kick at the teen from all different directions. all he can do is curl in on himself and cover his head with his hands. his body lurches after every kick. he doesn't really stand a chance against any of them; four against one isn't really fair. 

byounggon continues to watch as he mindlessly turns the box in his hand. he probably shouldn't be watching this go on like it was some fight scene from a movie. he should probably help. that train of thought is derailed whenever the boy lifts his head and meets byounggon's eyes. he finds that he's watching kim yonghee get attacked.

he also finds that he is uncertain about if he should care or not. he had heard about yonghee, everyone had heard about yonghee. he was the boy who had tried to kill himself in the middle of class last week. he was the boy who had a box cutter ripped out of his hands by jinyoung in order to stop him from succeeding. it seems that his suddenly new reputation of being suicidal had come back to bite him in the ass.

yonghee is looking at him with wide, teary eyes like he's expecting him to do something. byounggon just stares back at him, unmoving. finally yonghee's gaze is torn away from him because of a particularly harsh kick to his ribs that makes the boy wheeze in pain. the blond suddenly shoves his matchbox back into it's rightful place in his front pocket. he rolls his eyes, sighing, before he walks off. 

he should probably go help him.

but why help him whenever byounggon isn't even certain that his help would do any good?

it just doesn't seem worth it.


End file.
